1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved water craft capable of efficiently reducing infestation in bodies of water by aquatic plants and the like.
2. Background Information
The present inventors have developed and patented a device disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,240, (xe2x80x9cthe ""240 patentxe2x80x9d), which issued to patent on Aug. 6, 1996. The information and disclosure of that patent is hereby incorporated by reference, including the xe2x80x9cInformation Disclosurexe2x80x9d and discussion of known patents and references found therein.
Essentially, the device disclosed according to the ""240 patent represented an operative embodiment of a prototype device. The features of the improvement of the present invention reflect refinements that have been developed in the course of the arduous task of manufacturing of a commercial embodiment of the device disclosed according to the ""240 patent. Thus, it is believed that the present invention represents a novel and non-obvious improvement to the device disclosed and claimed in the ""240 patent.
In addition to the references cited in the ""240 patent, since that date, the following additional references have come to the attention of the present inventors:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,856, which discloses a method and apparatus for cutting aquatic vegetation, including a cutter head of radially oriented rotatable cutting blades spirally mounted along a rotateable drum. Aquatic vegetation shredded by the device is diverted to a submersible pump for conveyance to a remote location.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,204, which relates to a device comprising two rotors arranged in a shallow V arrangement which directs shredded plant matter to an internal harvest location within the vessel.
It is believed that the present invention disclosure provides an improved water craft for reducing aquatic plant infestation, and that the improvements disclosed herein are new, useful and non-obvious in light of the references cited herein.
This invention represents an improvement over the water craft for reducing aquatic plant infestation disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,240. Accordingly, the improved device comprises:
(a) a hull having an intake port at the bow end of the craft whereby aquatic plant laden water enters the craft;
(b) an exhaust port whereby water and mulched aquatic plants are discharged; and
(c) at least one array of cutting blades, rotatably disposed between said intake and said exhaust ports for mulching solid matter in the water passing from said intake port to said exhaust port;
wherein the improvement comprises at least one vertically-oriented cutter spindle and none, one or more of the following features:
(i) a positionable, interchangeable blade assembly disposed at said intake port and which may be raised, lowered, and tilted, and which in addition may be interchanged in the water, by means of a floatation feature, for an alternate blade assembly;
(ii) a cutter blade design, including a staggered, angular configuration of cutter blades, an intermeshed horizontal blade configuration, and a horizontal, swivel-mounted configuration;
(iii) an hydraulic system used to operate the cutter blades, including efficient aquatic plant infestation reduction through: cutter blade rotation between 500 and 4000 rpm via hydraulic motors, and placement of hydraulic oil reservoirs on either side of the water craft to facilitate cooling of said fluid;
(iv) centralization of electrical and hydraulic controls at the operator interface facilitating efficient handling of the water craft and cutter blade assembly; and
(v) a funnel or xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d shaped cutter assembly housing.
These and other improvements will become apparent from a review of the full disclosure and claims appended hereto.